Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Note: Sorry for the missed weeks. Classes have been hectic as we wrap up this school year.

This week, we take a question from one of our listeners. Dawn calls in to ask about printing pictures that you take digitally.

With film, when you got it developed, you got a set of prints. Not so with digital photography. This has opened up a whole new market for digital photographers.

There are four main photo printing technologies:
1) inkjet
2) dye-sublimation
3) laser
4) silver halide

We'll cover each one quickly, giving the strengths and weaknesses so you can decide what's best for you. There's no easy answer!

First, inkjet.
An inkjet printer sprays tiny droplets of ink onto paper to form an image. Inkjets can be had for as little as $20, or, in the case of the Epson 3800 as Dawn mentioned, $1300. The quality of the print (dots per inch) varies, as does the color matching and blending. Photo inkjets usually have more than the usual cyan, magenta, yellow, and black to accurately reproduce skintones. The Epson 3800 has an 8-ink system making its color reproduction excellent. Inkjets are a proven technology and can be a great asset for printing pictures at home, especially with high-quality matte or glossy inkjet photo paper. Higher-end printers allow users to change single color ink cartridges (like just cyan) instead of an entire color cartridge.

Second, dye-sublimation, or dye-sub for short.
Dye sublimation moves a set of three or four colored cellophane panels by the print media, and tiny heaters on the print head cause differing intensities of dye to sublimate onto the print medium. This is repeated for cyan, magenta, yellow, and sometimes black. Dye-sub printers usually have a clear overcoating that they put over images to keep them clear and water-resistant. They usually print only 4x6s, and can be expensive to operate. Images that do not contain much color will waste all of the dye on that set of cellophane panels. Cellophane "ink" cannot be reused and the whole roll must be replaced when it is consumed. Kodak Picture Maker kiosks use dye-sub printers.

Third, laser printers.
Color laser printers have become much more affordable over the past few years, but have never really gained much traction for photo printing, partially because of their limited media choices. A laser printer transfers toner (powder) onto the print media, and then runs it through a fuser that heats the toner and essentially bakes it onto the paper. These are most often used for proofing publications before press.

Fourth, silver halide prints.
These are my personal favorite. A silver halide print done from a digital file is virtually indistinguishable from a film print. You can't do these in your house, but photo shops and one-hour development establishments usually have no problem accommodating digital files. Your prints are run through the color development process and are treated exactly like film prints, leading to a durable and usually cheap print. It's hard to beat the price effectiveness of this method of printing, especially when printing large numbers of images. Stores with one-hour photo centers like Wal-Mart and Walgreens even allow you to send in your pictures for printing online and pick them up in the store.

I hope this has helped you answer your question, Dawn. There's no one method of printing pictures that's better than another. While dye-sub and inkjet printers are convenient and high-quality, they can be pricey on a per-print basis, but may be more cost effective for you if you don't live near a photo lab. Large batches of prints may call for silver halide process printing, even through mail order companies like Fotki.

Available in audio only. See http://shuttersparks.podcastspot.com to download.

Everyone knows that photography can turn into an extremely expensive hobby. Even the simplest items can easily be over $10. So, this week, in the interest of do-it-yourselfers, we will cover a few basic "hacks" that can broaden your photographic horizons with very little (if any) outlay of cash.

Ever think garbage bags and photography would go together? They do!

First, the garbage bag diffuser.
You've probably tried to soften the harsh light of a flash on more than one occasion. A simple way to diffuse the light is to cut a rectangle out of a frosted white garbage bag and tape it or hold it in front of your flash. This may require manual flash control, but is usually very effective in softening the light. Add more layers of bag cutouts to make the light even softer. Be careful! Only use bags on handheld flash units that do not have a modeling light and that do not get hot. Otherwise, the bag could melt and/or catch fire. Try different colored bags for a variety of different effects.

Second, the poor man's softbox.
If you have background in studio photography, you know that a softbox does wonders for really softening light, but they are heavy, cumbersome and expensive.
You can buy external flash softboxes, but they are expensive. You can find plans on the internet for do-it-yourself cardboard softboxes for your flash, or you can draw one out and make it yourself. The purpose of a softbox is to take the flash, which is a point source of light, and make it into a larger, more diffused source of light to soften the light and reduce shadows. This is similar to bouncing a flash off of a ceiling, but a softbox can be used straight-on, which makes it extremely useful for venues where you can't bounce a flash. After you have the box assembled, you may find that it helps to cover the inside of the softbox with aluminum foil. You will want to tape a layer or two of frosted garbage bag over the front of the softbox to diffuse the light.
You can couple this trick with the first one for a double-diffused softbox.

Third, a simple but effective snoot.
A snoot is a light modifier that is used to narrow the focus of light. Tape a cardboard toilet paper tube, paper towel tube, a Pringles container or even a wrapping paper tube to your flash head when using it off camera to light up a specific area of the picture. Block off with opaque tape the flash that is not going through the tube so that the only light escaping the flash head goes through the tube.

Fourth, a cheap honeycomb grid from Louisiana Tech's university photographer.
Honeycomb grids can be used in concert with a snoot or independently to create directional light. You can use a bunch of darkly-colored straws or a plastic yard sign that has been cut up into flash sized pieces. The key is to get the light of the flash to shine through the straws or through the plastic ribbing of the sign. You want the light to go through the small corrugations in the plastic. Wrap the whole thing in black gaffer tape or duck tape, and enjoy.

These tips will help you get professional-level performance for very little money. Experiment with these ideas! Modify them to suit your own needs.

Do you have a do-it-yourself project that you'd like to tell us about? Give us a call! 1-888-256-0655.

The schedule has been hectic around here, and I haven't had a chance to do a tip for this week. Please feel free to call in and leave us a voicemail at 1-888-256-0655 for next week's tip.

Thanks!

This is the second of a multi-part series on event photography. Before listening to or reading this episode, you may wish to look at Episode 8: Event Photography I (Equipment and Setup).

Okay, so now you have been hired for an event, or you have offered to shoot it for free. You've gathered all of your equipment together, you've scoped out the venue, and you have arrived early.

Note: Shooting <i>pro bono</i> (for no fee) can yield great portfolio material. Some photographers shoot events for free, with the understanding that they can sell prints of the event.

Before you actually shoot the event, talk to the person who has hired you to see what will be happening at the event and what times these things will be occurring. This schedule can help you know where to be and when to be there.

Here are a few keys to shooting an event successfully:
1) Keep moving.
2) Don't let your guard down.
3) Look for new angles on the same old things.
4) Don't overstep your boundaries.

We'll briefly cover each of these in order.

1) KEEP MOVING
Especially at larger events, it is absolutely critical to not spend too much time in any one place. If you find a place that really grabs your attention, make a mental note of it and visit it frequently. Do not stay there, though. In so doing, you will neglect the rest of the event.

2) DON'T LET YOUR GUARD DOWN
The instant that you lose your photographic concentration and put your camera down is the instant that something you need to be shooting will happen. Keep your hand on your camera and always be ready. Children do some of the craziest things when you least expect it. Have their parent's or guardian's permission before taking pictures of any children, though.

3) LOOK FOR NEW ANGLES ON THE SAME OLD THINGS
As we've said before, anybody can push the button on a camera. It takes your eye and unique perspective on the world to make a worthwhile picture. By using good composition and mentally framing shots before you look through the camera, you can make better pictures and cut down on your post-processing and editing.

4) DON'T OVERSTEP YOUR BOUNDARIES
Check with your contact as to areas that might be off-limits or areas where flash photography is not permitted. As the designated photographer for an event, you usually have a bit of leeway with flash even when it is banned for the general public. Check on this, as this can make the difference between a great shot and a mediocre shot.

As you roam around at an event, inevitably someone will ask if they can get a print of one of your shots. I find that it helps to have a stash of business cards in my pocket or in my camera bag. My cards have my phone number and web site address on them. Potential customers can log on to my web site and order a print and have it shipped right to their door. Before selling prints at an event, though, ensure that this is okay with the organization or people hosting the event.

Depending on your agreement, usually after the event is over, you will need to go through your pictures, edit them, and give a copy to the organization or people that hired you to shoot the event.

When you are finished, congratulations! You just photographed your first event!

Kudos to the guys over at Paramagnus Podcast Spot for getting everything up and running again.

If you're interested in photojournalism, becoming a stringer is a great way to get your foot in the door and possibly get a little extra cash on the side. Many newspapers, particularly small ones, are always looking for capable photographers to help them with event coverage, especially if the paper covers high school sports and has a relatively small photo staff.

First, ensure that you have equipment that is properly suited for the situations in which you will be shooting. Generally, newspapers expect a digital SLR at the least. If you are going to shoot a high school football game, make sure that you have a flash, a fast lens, and are familiar with the gameplay. It is up to you to get the shots at the event.

Contact newspapers. Generally, you will need to speak to the photo editor, or the person that is in charge of coordinating the paper's stringers.

The paper might not immediately have a job to send you to shoot. In that case, they will usually keep your name and number on file along with your preferences and equipment limitations, and will call you when something they need you to cover comes up.

Additionally, sometimes an out-of-town paper will need pictures of an event that is happening in your town, but cannot send a photographer. This is another opportunity for stringers.

When the paper offers you a job to shoot, prior to accepting it, they will usually require you to sign a contract that specifies what happens to the pictures and what compensation you will receive. Sometimes the paper retains exclusive rights to the images, and sometimes they are simply licensed to publish them. Payment ranges from a specific price per picture published to a flat fee for all pictures that are published from an event. If you have any questions, ask. Clarify any parts of the contract that confuse you. They will probably need your Social Security number for tax purposes.

Generally, if a paper does not publish your pictures, you will not get paid.

After all of the paperwork is done, it might help to talk to a staff photographer or a photo editor about how many images are needed from the event, what orientations (horizontal or vertical), color or black and white, what the highest ISO speed that can be used is, and what information will be needed to identify the people in the pictures and write cutlines.

The policies and rules of different papers vary, so it is in your best interest to verify this information BEFORE you start shooting.

Once you have your assignment, be sure that you can find the location before the event and ensure that you know when deadline is.

Are you supposed to take your pictures to the newsroom yourself when you're finished? E-mail them in? Upload them to a server? It might help to set an alarm so you have time to sort through your pictures and edit them and have them turned in before deadline. Usually you can not stay for an entire event, so the pressure is on to get the shots and get back to turn them in before deadline.

Before you head out to the event, have the phone number of someone at the paper you can call if you have any questions.

Look for more information about stringer photography in the coming weeks.

Due to classes resuming at Louisiana Tech and a new quarter starting with new classes, I don't have time to do a tip for this week. We will resume next week.

Sorry for the inconvenience.


--Branson

Event photography is one of the most difficult but most rewarding types of photography. It encompasses quite a few types of events: weddings, social events, parties and concerts among others.

Another hallmark trait of event photography is pressure. Generally, if you are the primary photographer, you have one shot to get the images that you need. If you lose images, you lose money if you are being paid, or you lose friends if you are doing the event <i>pro bono</i>.

It's important to know your limitations in photography. Do not agree to shoot or even worse volunteer to shoot an event that you are not confident you can cover fully. Try to get a photographer friend to shoot with you in case something happens to some pictures: a memory card could fail, or your camera could run out of battery power. If you can't get a photographer friend to shoot with you, try to get another friend to act as your assistant to help you with equipment setup and takedown and arranging people for group shots if that is a part of the event, such as weddings.

It's always better to have too many pictures to sort through than too few, and you usually have one shot at the event.

Because of the pressure, you should have a good-quality digital camera. Equipment will vary based on when and where the event is held, but this is digital SLR territory. Do not shoot a friend's wedding as the primary photographer with a point-and-shoot digital. You will not be happy with the picture quality, and neither will your friend.

With that said, it is important to have a flash, preferably external. Flashes, which we covered in Episode 4, can help even if you are shooting in the daylight by filling in shadows. If you are planning a long day of shooting with flash, a flash battery pack such as the Quantum Turbo Battery may be in order. These packs make your flash recycle time much faster and give your flash much better performance without having to change out the internal batteries as frequently. However, they are expensive and not compatible with all flash units. Also, their fast recycling time makes it easy to roast a flash head by firing it at full power too many times, too quickly.

Ensure that you have an adequate supply of charged batteries and empty memory cards. You don't want the camera to run out of power in the middle of the event, and you also don't want to have to look through pictures to figure out which ones to delete on-camera because you have run out of memory space.

Another bit of equipment that usually is not addressed is clothing. Check with the event coordinators to see what acceptable attire for the photographer is.

Before the event occurs, see if you can visit the venue to see what the lighting situation is going to be. Be sure to visit around the same time that the event will occur, so that the sun will be in the posititon that it will be in for the actual event. In churches, this can dramatically change the color of the light because of the stained glass windows.

On the day of the event, arrive at the venue early. If you are going to be shooting group shots or individual shots at an event such as a dance, you need to find out where you will set up your studio lights and get everything up, running and tested. Find a place to stash your empty camera bag, get everything hooked up and go out and start shooting!

We will cover more about event photography in the coming weeks.

Ask us a question! Call and leave us a voicemail at 1-888-256-0655. All calls are recorded for possible use.

This week, another listener from the DPTOW podcast calls in with a question:

"Hello! This is Bruin Cumtux calling. I'm calling to get clarification on the best way to take pictures in a low-lit area and get very good quality sports photography to be used in newspapers, yearbooks, end-of-the-year videos, literary magazines, or anything else that wonderful sports photography could be used in. Your assistance in answering this question is greatly appreciated."

This episode will cover low-light sports photography--the evil twin of studio photography--where everything comes down to you, your camera and a little bit of luck.

Your call presents some very difficult issues that are usually considered mutually exclusive: fast-action shots in low-light areas at high qualities.

Since your question specifically asks about low-light areas, we will omit (for this week) sports that occur during the day and will focus on events usually held indoors or at night.

Perhaps the most crucial part of good low-light sports photography is ensuring that you have a camera, lenses and possibly flash that are capable of shooting the situations in which you will be involved.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras will have problems shooting sporting events that are not well-lit. This is territory for digital SLRs. Generally, a high framerate (how many pictures you can shoot in a second) and a large buffer (how many pictures you can take before your camera has to write to the card) are beneficial in these shooting situations because much comes down to trial and error. High-quality lenses, or "fast glass" are also a necessity. Generally zoom lenses should be a fixed f/2.8 for the entire length of their zoom, and prime lenses such as fixed 50mm lenses should be f/2.8 or lower. The low f/stop rating means that the lens can let in more light, leading to a faster shutter speed.

Also, look into getting a monopod, which is like one leg of a tripod. Lower f/stop lenses are heavier. A monopod will help you to support heavy lenses easily and will help to reduce camera shake.

Flash might seem like a good idea, but always check with sports officials at your particular event. Specifically, the NCAA prohibits the use of flash at all sanctioned sporting events. If you can use flash, make sure you can recycle it quickly, perhaps by using an external battery pack, otherwise in a series of pictures, the first one will be the only one that is well-illuminated.

Flash might be necessary if shooting with a non-f/2.8 lens in order to compensate for the reduced lighting for the picture.

One way that some people compensate for low-light situations with slower lenses is to bump up their ISO "film" speed.

If you have any history with film photography, the higher the ISO rating of the film, the more sensitive it is to light, but the "grainier" the picture will be.

This is the same principle as with digital photography. Cranking up the ISO equivalent will lead to noisier pictures.

Here are few basic points of reference:

*To freeze action, a shutter speed of 1/500th is needed (it varies depending on the sport).
*For newspapers that usually print at 72 dpi, an ISO of 1600 can be used
*For yearbooks or magazines that usually print at 300 dpi, an ISO of 800 can be used

It's easier to shoot for newspapers, because the noise isn't as noticeable on the press as it is in a glossy magazine or yearbook.

Here are some basic tips for nailing low-light fast-action sports photography:

*ALWAYS custom white balance (see episode 2), because arena lighting is usually a strange color temperature
*NEVER exceed your maximum ISO for your media
*If you see it, you missed it. I learned this from one of my friends. If you see your moment, your mirror isn't up and your shutter isn't open.
*Try to anticipate the action and shoot right before it happens.
*ALWAYS check with officials as to whether or not flash is permitted.
*If lighting in the arena is constant, meter it and set your camera on manual to avoid metering confusion when actually shooting.
*Shoot in RAW if possible, because you can underexpose on the camera (use a higher shutter speed) and you can post-process it in software later to adjust 2 f/stops of brightness.
*If you MUST shoot at a higher ISO than the points of reference earlier, use an application such as PictureCode's NoiseNinja to reduce noise. It's a great program, but not a miracle worker.
*Get as close to the action as possible (use common sense). Try to get on the floor at a basketball game or on the field at football games.
*Talk to the professionals shooting the game when they aren't busy. Most will be happy to help out, but DO NOT interrupt them while they are shooting. This is their job. Catch them after the game if possible.
*Set your autofocus to servo or predictive focusing and designate a focus point, or use manual focus.
*Invest in some fixed f/2.8 zoom or lower f/stop prime lenses. You will immediately see a difference.
*Get a monopod (they're cheap!) Bogen/Manfrotto and Slik are two good brands. Lenses with tripod rings don't need a head on a monopod; other cameras will need a head to rotate between horizontal and vertical shots.
*If you're getting blur in your pictures, take a look at Episode 5, which covers the different types of blur and how to fix them.

Do you have a question about digital photography? Call and ask us! Leave us a voicemail at 1-888-256-0655.

Please note that all calls are recorded for possible use on the show.

Happy Valentine's Day!

In honor of the day, this week's tip will cover some basic guidelines on extremely simple glamor lighting so you can take great pictures of your sweet.

Portrait photography can be greatly enhanced by good lighting. Even if you don't own or use studio lights, you can still apply some of these techniques while shooting outside.

One of the primary rules for glamor lighting is diffusion. Diffused "soft" light is very flattering to subjects, as opposed to "hard" light, which creates harsh shadows.

Diffused light has a smoothing effect on subjects that makes blemishes less noticeable and gives a beautiful, almost glowing, effect.

If you have watched professional photographers take portraits outside before, they usually have an assistant holding a large reflector. Depending on the effect they want, they use different reflectors. Cloudy days are the best for flattering shots because the clouds act as a large diffuser. However, a sunny day can also be great for shooting.

Gold reflectors are used to shed a warming light on the subject and enhance skin tones. Silver reflectors cast a harsh light that can be used for some interesting effects. A white diffuser can be as simple as a piece of white foamboard from a hobby store. Anything that can be easily held in place to produce the desired effect will work.

Photographers on-the-go usually opt for folding reflectors, similar to those used in automotive windshields during the summer. Car shades can be used in a pinch, or if you are considering purchasing a reflector set. Photography reflectors are of much higher quality, but a car shade will give you the basic idea of bouncing light.

In the studio, at least for portraits, bigger is better. Large "beauty dish" reflectors, which can be covered with a diffusing material, provide indirect illumination. Usually, the light bounces off of a piece of material right in front of the flash tube and then is reflected through the entire matte reflector. This produces a very flattering and diffused light.

Point sources of light, such as flashes, create a very harsh light, whereas lights that come from a large area are diffused and softer. That is why bouncing a flash leads to a more pleasing and natural light. The point-source has been diffused to the size of whatever the bounce surface is.

Softboxes are also great for glamor photography, and if used properly, can create a beautiful glimmer or "catchlight" in the subject's eyes. A softbox is a light modifier that fits on the flash head of your flash unit. It usually contains two sheets of material that diffuse the light, and is covered internally by a silver material to ensure maximum light throughput. There are plans available on the Internet for do-it-yourself softboxes if you don't want to buy one.

One strategy for glamor lighting is to have the subject face the light directly. Then, move the light up and shoot down on the subject at approximately a 45 degree angle. Place a white bouncecard beneath the light at a 45 degree angle to the pole your light is on. The light and bouncecard should form a 90 degree angle to each other to start. Depending on the effect you are trying to achieve, the angles can change and the light can move. This provides flattering illumination from above, and also fills in shadows caused by the nose and chin to have a soft, even lighting over the entire subject.

If you don't have studio lights and have an external flash, softboxes can be purchased or made to fit as well. A modifier for flash could be as simple as pieces of cardboard cut to go around the flash with a frosted trash bag on the outside to change the point-source light of the flash to a bigger surface, creating a more diffused light.

DO NOT TRY THIS with hotlights (lights that stay on all of the time) or strobes with a modeling lamp, as the plastic could melt to the bulbs and possibly catch fire.

That's it for this week. Happy shooting, and remember to give us a buzz with your questions 1-888-256-0655.

Leave us a voicemail at 1-888-256-0655!

Please note that all calls are recorded for possible use on the show.

This week, a listener from the DPTOW podcast calls in with a question:

"Hi, this is Richie; I'm calling to ask a question about photography. It seems that whenever I take pictures, they don't come out very crisp or clear. I was wondering if I was doing something wrong or if it was a setting that was on the camera. If you could shed any light on this, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!"

This episode will cover what causes blur, fuzziness, or softness in pictures and some techniques to reduce this common problem.

There are a few culprits to blame for blurry pictures: focus, optical problems, camera movement, subject movement, and noise. We'll cover all of these along with easy solutions for each.

The first is simple: focus. Without digressing, there are two causes of focus issues. Either the camera has locked its autofocus on a specific point in the picture that is not the intended subject, or the depth of field that you are trying to focus is too large for the given lighting situations. The lower the f/stop number, the shallower your depth of field. In other words, the shallower your "sweet spot" of focus is. At higher f/stops, the depth of field gets deeper and deeper, making it easier to focus on subjects at varying distances in the same frame. Solutions for focus issues include using a manual focus override in difficult shooting situations that can fool the autofocus such as reflective surfaces, or specifying which autofocus point that your camera should use. To increase the depth of field, use more light or a higher-powered flash.

Next, optical problems can cause slightly blurry or "soft" pictures. While this effect can be flattering for some portraits, it can be extremely irritating for landscapes and other subjects that need to be sharp. Generally with lenses, you get what you pay for. More expensive lenses from quality manufacturers will produce a sharper image than "kit lenses" that are packaged with digital SLR cameras. Some zoom lenses also suffer from soft focus at specific points in their zoom range. Once again, cheaper lenses are more prone to this behavior. Lenses that have been dropped or mistreated also can have focus issues.

The third cause of blur is the photographer. Especially for long exposure shots, the slight movements and shaking of your hands while holding a camera can cause the image to be slightly blurred. Generally, the farther you are zoomed in on an object, the more susceptible your shot is to blur. As a rule of thumb, take a look at the millimeter setting of your zoom lens. If you are at 100mm, then put 1 over that. 1/100 second is about the longest shutter you can use while hand holding the camera. at 300mm, 1/300 of a second would be the longest you can hand-hold the camera. You can use different techniques such as bracing your arms or placing the camera on a surface to help alleviate this shake in less-than-ideal conditions. Specifically, use your viewfinder as you are less likely to shake with your arms against your body than if you are holding the camera with your arms extended. If all else fails for low-light shots, use a tripod or a monopod. Both can be effective, and a monopod can make shooting long events with a heavy camera much easier.

The fourth cause of blur is subject movement. This is often characterized in sporting events where a basketball player's hand and the ball are blurred, but the player is relatively sharp. This means you do not have your shutter speed fast enough to capture the action. Increasing your shutter speed and decreasing your f/stop should help to eliminate this cause of blur. Better optics such as fixed f/2.8 lenses might be in order for low-light, fast-action events, but they are expensive. These lenses can stay at f/2.8 for their entire zoom range. Other lenses have different minimum apertures at different points in their zoom range.

The last cause of pictures that do not come out clearly is noise. Different cameras have different "noise profiles" but one adage remains: the higher the ISO "film speed" you specify on your digital camera, the grainier your pictures will be. If you have film experience, 800 ISO film is used for low-light, fast-action photography at the expense of grain in the picture. 100 ISO film and lower is used for portrait work because it has very little grain. You sacrifice graininess in your pictures for a faster shutter speed. Try to dial in an ISO that is appropriate for what you are doing. Shoot at the lowest possible ISO to get the best pictures, but you must vary it based on the situation. It would be impractical to shoot basketball or soccer at 100 ISO; there is not enough light to get the shutter speeds needed. A company called PictureCode (picturecode.com) with whom we are not affiliated, sells NoiseNinja software that works well for removing noise from pictures. It is particularly effective at higher ISO speeds. However, it is a tool, and should be used as such. The easiest way to reduce noise is when you are taking the picture, not when processing it later. It takes much less time to take the picture correctly than to post-process it to remove noise later.

I hope this has answered your question and "cleared" up the issue.

One of the most important yet misunderstood tools that a photographer can use is the flash.

While most cameras come with an on-board flash, this is rarely the best option. An external flash gives you much more control, precision, and freedom. Additionally, red-eye occurs when the light source (your flash) reflects off of the retinas of your subject. Moving the flash off of the camera will generally fix red-eye problems without having to use red-eye reduction algorithms on-camera or time-consuming edits later.

Cameras can fire a flash in one of four ways.

First, through a "hot shoe" adapter. Hot shoes can either sync (fire with the shutter) directly, or proprietary configurations from such vendors as Canon and Nikon actually allow the flash and camera to communicate. This help the camera to set the flash intensity and zoom (if equipped), and will enable the auto-exposure mode to work properly.

Second, through a sync cord. Sync cords, usually found only on higher-end flash units and studio strobes, connect to a sync port on your camera, or can also be connected via a hot shoe adapter that slides on to your hot shoe to provide a sync port. All this does is sync the flash and the camera; all exposure settings must be calculated using a light meter or through trial-and-error and dialed in manually.

Third, flashes can be fired wirelessly. Depending on your equipment, you can set up "master" flashes and "slave" flashes. Firing the master will send a signal to the slaves to also fire. Some systems are "intelligent," and can set exposure automatically, while some rely on manual settings.

Lastly, flashes can fire via a light slave. Typical cameras fire two or three flashes: one or two small lower-intensity flashes to calculate white balance and distance information, and then one large, high-intensity flash to actually take the picture. Some light slaves can be confused by this multiple-flash algorithm and can fire on the first trigger, leaving the units not fully recharged to fire for the real shot. Some slaves can work around this problem and only trigger with the correct flash.

Now that we have established how flashes fire, we will move on to how to better use them in your photography.

A flash is a point source of light. Whereas most illumination that we perceive in daily life comes from above, flashes come from right on or near the camera.

Shadows in photography can be great if properly planned and used correctly, but they can also be extremely distracting in some shots. Using a flash as an auxiliary source of light to lessen shadows even on a bright day is referred to as a "fill flash," because it fills in shadows. Too much of a good thing, though, can blow out the highlights and overexpose the entire frame.

Bounce flash is a great way to get rid of those pesky shadows behind people and add depth to your photos. Flash tends to flatten images. Pointing the head of your flash to the ceiling or a wall turns the point source of light into a much larger reflector that will lead to a much more pleasing light. Make sure that your bounce surface is white! Otherwise, your photos will take on the hue of the surface off of which you bounce the light.

Lastly, manual flash is usually only available on higher-end units, but it allows the photographer near-total control over the behavior of the flash. Intensities can be dialed in to get just the lighting that you need for your shot.

Stay tuned for more information on flash in the coming weeks and how it can make your pictures better!

Welcome to your Digital Photography Tip of the Week for Wednesday, January 24, 2007.

This week, we're back with a short and sweet tip after a one-week break. Being sick means no writing, and having no voice means no podcast.

We're back, though.

This week's tip deals with a very simple way that you can improve your photography--turning the camera and moving around your subject.

First, turning your camera.

Your camera has a so-called "aspect ratio." This means that your frame (unless you're using a medium- or large-format camera) is going to be rectangular. An easy way to improve your pictures is to use a technique called "fill the frame." Don't always try to include all of your subject. Tell a story with your pictures. Some things like landscapes may call for a landscape-orientation shot (the long side is parallel to the ground, horizontal), whereas people might call for a portrait-orientation shot (the long side is perpendicular to the ground, vertical). It is up to you as the photographer to make the call on what you want to do with a specific shot, but turning the camera is a simple way to add more variety to your photography. I have also found that some events such as dances might be photographed well at a "rakish" angle, perhaps around 45 degrees. This technique is VERY easy to overdo, so use it in moderation, but it does show motion and movement well. Too much can be dizzying and make your neck hurt from looking at the shots.

Second, moving around for your shot.

Too many photographers in my experience see the world from one angle--the eyes on their head. Everybody sees the world from about the same height, with a few feet of difference, and everybody sees everything straight-on. As a photographer, it is your charge to bring a unique style and "flavor" to your work. Looking at a subject from above or below or from either side can completely alter your view of them, and hence will make for a more interesting shot. Don't be afraid to get down on the floor and shoot up. Dirt on your pants is temporary, but a great shot is permanent. This point also applies to filling the frame. Don't be afraid to get up closer to your subject. It's important to tell a story so that the photograph conveys emotion.

That's what makes a good picture great: a story and emotion. By rotating the camera and moving around for the shot, you can do both.

This is the second in a two-part series on white balance. In last week's tip, we discussed what white balance is and the use of basic white balance scene modes on your camera. If you haven't read or listened to last week's tip, I highly recommend it to get an overview of what we are talking about this week.

Because of the wide variety of digital cameras available, we will only be covering basic procedures and concepts. Consult your manual for information on how to apply these concepts to your own camera. Your mileage may vary.

Custom white balance can be done in one of two ways. This is the most labor-intensive method of white balance and requires some work, but is by far the most accurate balance you can get. On most cameras, you will set your white balance setting to custom, shoot a grey card or a white surface (it doesn't really matter if it's 100% in focus), and then tell the camera which picture to use for the balance. Other cameras take a picture after the custom white balance mode has been engaged and use that for the balance information. Make sure when you shoot your grey card that you put it in the exact light that your subject is going to be in. If you are going to use a flash, make sure it fires so it will be factored in to the balance shot.

Two different items can be used to white-balance a camera. The first is anything white--a piece of paper, a note card, or even a towel. However, not all "whites" are the same color, and it is very difficult to get the exposure correct to get the proper white balance. The second method is using a grey card. Grey cards are specifically designed for photographers and videographers for custom white balance. It is commonly called an 18% grey card, because this is the intensity of the card.

Cards can be purchased from a photo or video equipment retailer. Some companies produce slightly different-colored grey cards that can be used for a "warming" or "cooling" effect depending on what the photographer desires. An 18% grey card, if used correctly, will lead to dead-on white balance.

If you're a traveling photographer, though, having something that performs two functions is always a benefit. Many photo and video equipment retailers offer 18% grey microfiber cleaning cloths. These can be used safely to clean lenses and other easily scratched camera parts, but can also double-up as a white balance card.

I recently purchased an Alpine Innovations Spudz SPYW25 18% grey cleaning cloth, and I love it. Not only does it allow me to white balance and clean my camera with a 10 inch square cloth, but it also easily pushes into a neoprene pouch into which it is sewn, so it cannot get lost. They are available for under $10 and are a great investment.

Some products such as the ExpoDisc go right on to your digital SLR lens. You take a picture with the ExpoDisc on, and use that picture as your white balance shot. The ExpoDisc is relatively expensive, but if you are in many challenging lighting situations, it could become essential for quick and easy balance without having to worry with a grey card.

The second way of custom white balancing your camera is by dialing in a color temperature. It is great if you are shooting with lights that are known to be a certain temperature (usually found on movie sets) or if you have a device to measure the color temperature of the light. It becomes difficult to manage this when there are different colors of light. This setting is usually found only on professional digital SLRs.

This week we have covered two methods of custom white balance: taking a custom white balance shot and dialing in a color temperature directly. Dialing in a temperature works well if the situation has a consistent lighting temperature that is known. Taking a custom white balance shot works in nearly all other cases.

If you take color pictures on a digital camera, inevitably you will run in to some challenging lighting situations. This week's tip will explain the differences in the temperatures of light and how to compensate for them to get a perfect picture in almost any light.

Readers with a film background might recall that different types of film are designed for different lighting conditions (they are "balanced" for a specific kind of light). Some films are balanced to tungsten (regular bulbs) others to fluorescent tubes, and others to daylight.

Light temperature is measured in Kelvin. Sunlight has a temperature around 5000K, lower (color-)temperature lights are warmer, while higher-temperature lights are cooler

Each of these films has a different white balance. That means that they will record a true white, no matter what hue it has from the specified light source. If you use regular film under some types of fluorescent bulbs, pictures can come out with a greenish cast to them. This is the value of using a film that is balanced to the shooting situation.

Unfortunately, such films can be expensive and difficult to locate, so they are mostly used by professionals.

Enter digital photography.

Digital cameras make it easy to come up with well-colored pictures that really capture the situation, and can make a subject "warmer" (redder) or "cooler" (bluer).

Most digital cameras have a setting called AWB or Auto White Balance and have a few programmed WB settings built in. These settings works well most of the time, but fail in a few situations. Low-light situations can "fool" the camera's white balance and throw it off. Using a flash can make pictures extremely cool (blueish). A well-placed white balance setting can make pictures taken with flash appear to be shot with available light in terms of color temperature.

White balance can be set in one of three ways.
<ol>
<li>Automatically, using the AWB or "Auto" white balance setting on your camera</li>
<li>Using a pre-programmed white balance setting (such as flash, shade, sunlight, fluorescent, incandescent)</li>
<li>Custom white balance/dialing in temperature on the camera</li>
</ol>

These are listed in ascending order of preference and time consumption.

Auto white balance can be fooled, but also is very quick and easy.

Pre-programmed white balance settings are not always exactly what you want. I'm sure you have seen the "shop" fluorescent bulbs that have a bluish cast to them, as opposed to the "warm white" bulbs usually used in kitchens. One fluorescent setting that is pre-programmed will not work equally well in all fluorescent lighting temperatures.

This is easily fixed by custom white balance, which is tailored specifically for your lighting situation.

Next week's tip will cover two methods of custom white balance.